National Hoarding Awareness Week takes place from 15-19 May this year, and we’re shining a light on an issue that has a significant impact on some of the most vulnerable people in our community.
During the week we will be providing information about hoarding on our dedicated hoarding webpage, including how to spot the signs of hoarding and how to seek help from SLH and other agencies, either for yourself or for a friend, family member or neighbour.
We begin with a real-life, ongoing case study from our tenancy sustainability and neighbourhood teams, who work together to support tenants with hoarding disorders. Meet Jane, from Garston, who developed a hoarding disorder following a bereavement.
The tenant’s name has been changed to protect their identity, but all other details are based on a real-life hoarding case that our teams are currently managing.
Jane’s story
Jane was referred to our tenancy sustainability team following a report by the neighbourhood management officer that she was hoarding. When we visited the home, every room was full of items; the front living room and bedroom were unusable as living spaces and the kitchen, bathroom and second bedroom were also worryingly full.
Jane is 60 and lived with her mother as her carer until she passed away in 2018. She is isolated, does not have any contact with her family and doesn’t allow friends or other visitors into her home. Five years on from losing her mum, she is still very reluctant to part with items as she has a sentimental attachment to many of them – a common theme with tenants who are hoarding.
The neighbourhood officer and tenancy support officer worked together to get support in place for Jane. We referred her case to Liverpool City Council’s Adult Social Services and a social worker met us for a joint visit with Jane, to identify if there were further support needs.
The social worker worked with Jane to help achieve the objectives the neighbourhood officer had set. He helped her make improvements to the kitchen, where the floor and countertops were full of items and Jane had only been able to use the microwave to cook. With support, she improved the condition of the kitchen to enable her to cook and keep the surfaces hygienic and clean.
The social worker stepped away following an assessment which determined that Jane had capacity to make choices and had declined any referrals for other support.
Fire risk is a major safety concern when tenants are hoarding, because the items can be combustible and limit escape routes out of the home in the event of fire. Our neighbourhood officer referred Jane to Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service who came to visit the home and made a number of recommendations and following this, she consented to installing additional smoke alarms in her home.
Setting achievable goals was key to helping Jane make progress to improve the living conditions in her home and make it safe. Our neighbourhood officer set room-by-room goals and completed regular visits to monitor progress. The tenancy sustainability officer also supported by offering to remove items and pass them onto charity shops, as the tenant was very conscious of waste and wanted to know that the items would go to a good home.
Although progress has been made, the biggest challenge with Jane’s case is her own perception; her own view of her home is that she is happy with the environment and sees any support as interfering. However, the reality is that she has declined mental health help and will need consistent monitoring and support to continue to manage her home and prevent further hoarding.
We hope that Jane and other tenants like her choose to continue to engage with us so we can help tackle their hoarding disorder and help them live more happily and safely in their homes.
For more details on the support available from SLH and other agencies to deal with hoarding disorders, go to our dedicated hoarding webpage.